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May 18, 2012

Toyota to increase V6 engine production in Alabama

Toyota announced it will expand its Huntsville, Ala. engine facility to increase North American production of V6 engines. The approximately $80 million investment will bring total plant investment to more than $700 million. Approximately 125 new jobs will be created, increasing employment nearly 10 percent to 1,150.

The expansion will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. (TMMAL) to build an additional 216,000 engines each year, boosting total V6 annual capacity to 362,000. A new 300,000 sq. ft. building will be constructed. The increased production will begin in March 2014.

TMMAL currently assembles 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines for eight of 12 Toyota North American built vehicles. TMMAL is the only Toyota plant globally to produce these three types of engines in one facility.

This investment will increase engine production at the Huntsville plant to more than 700,000 annually, and will increase total Toyota engine production in the U.S. to more than 1.4 million per year. Toyota also builds engines in Kentucky and West Virginia.

“We are proud to announce our fourth expansion, only a few months after celebrating 10 years of success in Huntsville and Madison County,” said Jim Bolte, President of TMMAL. “Today wouldn't be possible without continued commitment from our outstanding team members and support from our community partners.”

“Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been a dedicated corporate citizen in Alabama for more than ten years, and today’s announcement is an exciting new chapter for this company and this community. Toyota’s success in Alabama is a testament to the hard-working men and women of the production and leadership teams who have dedicated themselves to producing quality products,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “This expansion is also a testament to the business climate we’ve worked hard to create in Alabama – a climate in which companies are encouraged to expand, innovate, and create new jobs. We thank Toyota for the company’s continued confidence in Alabama and Huntsville, and we look forward to a continued long-term relationship."

Today’s announcement is the latest in a string of Toyota production increase announcements since February including Toyota plants in Indiana, West Virginia, Canada and Kentucky. Cumulative investment total is approximately $645 million and more than 1,100 jobs are being added.

“This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism for an improving North American market, and we continue to study more localization in North America,” said Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.